Hi Dori,
Now that summer is nearing an end, we expect to be getting numerous identification requests for Pennsylvania Leatherwings that love feeding on goldenrod pollen, though we don’t expect any of the photos to be as nice as your photo.

Hi Len,
We believe this is a Horse Fly, and its eyes indicate it is a female, but we are not certain of the species. It does bear a strong resemblance to a mounted specimen on BugGuide that is identified as Whitneyomyia beatifica. We are going to see if Eric Eaton can provide any information.

Eric Eaton RespondsNo, I’m pretty sure it is a species of Tabanus. I’m not an expert on the group, though….
Eric

Giant wasp with an extra stinger?
Location: Ontario, Canada
August 31, 2011 6:36 pm
Hello bugman! I found this GIANT wasp on my back deck hanging out on the wall. Take a look at the stinger area, there seems to be an extra stinger or something protruding from its bum! very bizarre, and I can’t find a picture like it anywhere! Hope you can help me find out what this is!
Signature: curious

Pigeon Horntail

Dear Curious,
What you have mistaken for a stinger is actually this female Pigeon Horntail‘s ovipositor. She deposits her eggs beneath the bark of diseased and dead trees and the wood boring larvae help break down the wood as part of the complex decomposition process. The larvae of the Pigeon Horntails are preyed upon by another frightening looking but harmless non-stinging relative of wasps, the Stump Stabber, a very colorful name for the Giant Ichneumon.

Pigeon Horntail

Wow, thats really neat! Thanks for helping me identify my bug and making it bug of the month! It looked terrifying, so I kept my distance. Glad to know its harmless as I was a bit of a wimp while looking at it! Thanks again

is this a tailless whip scorpion
Location: Sierra Vista AZ
August 31, 2011 5:25 pm
Found this in my garage. Is it a tailless whip scorpion?
Signature: t8rsage

Giant Vinegaroon

This Giant Vinegaroon, Mastigoproctus giganteus, is classified in the Arachnid order Uropygi while Tailless Whipscorpions are classified in the order Amblypygi. The Giant Vinegaroon is considered a Whipscorpion, but it is not tailless.

Is this a moth??
Location: Maumelle, Arkansas
August 31, 2011 5:46 pm
This is hanging out on the wall of our covered porch. My boyfriend and I are wondering if it is a moth and if that is a stinger on its tail. It is in the upper nineties right now and we have been getting around a storm a week for the past month. It has been there all day without moving.
Signature: What In the World!

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hey got a doozy
Location: near derby ks
August 31, 2011 8:08 pm
We have these big guys flying all around our house. At first i thought it was some kind of hornet but I got this up close one just before sundown. I tried looking it up to no avail. Just really wondering. Looked really icky on my 42 inch large screen when i hooked my camera up to it. All the little ”hairs” on the legs were so weird.
Signature: Heebby Jeebies

Prairie Robber Fly

Dear Heebby Jeebies,
We were just going to try to classify this Robber Fly to the genus level and tell you it was a Hanging Thief in the genus Diogmites, however, we believe we might be able to do one better and identify it as a Prairie Robber Fly, Diogmites angustipennis, based on photos posted to BugGuide.